Strike of the Hour
by ExoZadakh
Summary: Ekimu's journey across Okoto has taken him to the Region of Ice, where a fellow blacksmith offers him shelter. The smith has a secret, however, and Ekimu may come to realize that a very shocking change is coming. (Okoto 579 series)


Ekimu trudged up the snowy slopes, pulling tightly on his brown cloak as he fought against the blizzard winds. He knew he should find shelter, but he wanted to continue on—the garment Nilkuu had given him would provide enough protection, he thought surely. There would be time to rest once he had made it to the village.

The Mask Maker stopped when he reached the peak of the small mountain. The cold was almost unbearable, but he did his best to ignore it as he closed his eyes and stood perfectly still. His mind emptied, each and every thought blowing away on the wind until he reached a point of total serenity. He remained that way for several minutes, hoping something would disturb that peace. Nothing did.

He sighed. _Where are you, brother?_

Ekimu descended. When he had almost reached the bottom, he slipped. His first instinct was to wrap his hands around the Mask of Creation, doing his best to make sure it was not lost or damaged as he tumbled a few dozen feet downhill and landed in a heap of snow. He sat up and removed the mask, examining it thoroughly. As he put it back on, he saw something emerging from the blizzard, a villager-sized figure that nearly blended in thanks to their white armor and cloak. Ekimu quickly found his hammer and drew it back.

"Who goes there?"

The figure put their hands up. "H-Hey, easy! I don't want to hurt you or anything!"

Ekimu slowly lowered his weapon. The villager edged closer, tentatively holding out one hand.

"Call me Max. I'm a blacksmith from the Village of Ice."

They shook hands. Max squinted, and then he jumped back. "Woah! Ekimu?! What are you doing out here?"

"I am on a quest to locate my brother. I have scoured the Regions of Earth and Stone, and now I have come to search these frozen lands as well."

"You don't say? But, this blizzard's about to get a lot worse. Even a guy like you has got to have limits, right? Come on—I'll take you back to the village."

Ekimu looked back at the mountains. After thinking for a moment, he turned back to Max and nodded. "Very well. Thank you, Max."

* * *

Ekimu reached out towards the fireplace, letting the warmth seep in through his palms. Max lived in a large hut near the edge of the village that doubled as his shop. The space inside was filled with more crates and shelves than furniture, but Ekimu did not mind—a place like this felt more familiar to him.

An armored canine creature trotted up and nudged Ekimu's leg. He gently patted it on the head. When Max came back in, the pet immediately rushed to his side.

"Sorry, I don't have a great variety of things I can offer you," Max apologized as he sat down on a crate. "I always spend so much on materials that my remaining budget for food gets the short end of the stick."

"That's quite alright."

"So, you're looking for Makuta?"

"Yes. Though, I have been making a few masks on my travels. I also hope to reward the Toa for their efforts—I've already given Onua and Pohatu new masks and armor, and I hope to do the same for Kopaka while I am here."

"Neat! I can't wait to see what he looks like. If you'd like, feel happy to use my forge."

"I may, thank you."

Max leaned forward a bit and looked at the fire. "Any news on Makuta, though?"

Ekimu shook his head. "I hope that, when I near his location, he will be able to send me a vision through the Mask of Creation. It would seem that I am still too far away."

After a moment, Ekimu asked, "If I may…what is your view of Makuta?"

"My view? Oh, people have been saying a lot of bad stuff about him for a while."

Ekimu tensed.

"I don't put a lot of stock in their rumors, though. Makuta was a great Mask Maker! He visited the Village of Ice when I was a kid and handed out a bunch of masks, really cool looking ones. Actually, he's kind of the reason I wanted to become a blacksmith."

As he spoke, Ekimu's smile gradually widened. "…Thank you. It makes me glad to know there are still others who believe in him."

Max started to speak, but hesitated. "Hey, um…related to that, can I ask you something? There's this one really persistent rumor, one about a Mask of Ultimate Power?"

Ekimu frowned. "The answer to that is…long, and I do not yet have it in full. The Mask exists, yes, but Makuta is not at fault for its creation."

Max nodded. "Okay, fair enough. I was pretty surprised when I heard it. I knew there was a law about never putting more than one Element in the same mask...never really got why, though."

"Binding the power of an Element to a mask is a very delicate process. Trying to put in multiple Elements will compromise the mask's structure, and even if one being had the mental energy to control more than one Element at a time, even a mask with only two of the Elements would inevitably degenerate and break apart."

"Oh. Good to know."

Ekimu glared into the flames. "That Mask should have splintered into scrap metal the instant it touched Makuta's face. Perhaps there was something else, some other force within the Mask that was responsible for keeping it together…"

Max watched him mutter to himself for a minute, then got to his feet and stretched. "Hey, if you don't mind, I want to go check up on one of my neighbors. His roof had some damage last week and I want to be sure it didn't open up again during this storm."

Ekimu's head snapped up. "Oh, yes, of course."

"Thanks, I'll be right back. Make yourself at home!"

Max stooped to pet his dog and then donned his cloak and stepped out. The fire flickered a bit as the door was opened, but once it was shut again it regained its balance. The dog curled up in front of it, while Ekimu went back to staring for a while before sighing, standing, and looking around.

The racks lining the walls were filled with all manner of weapons. Swords, axes, spears, hammers, even a few boomerangs were on display, gleaming in the firelight, eager to be bought. Various shields were hung above the racks, some with emblems engraved upon them and some left bare. In one corner stood an entire suit of armor—a fairly simple design, but it looked quite durable. Even at a glance Ekimu could recognize the craftsmanship of the work.

 _He seems quite the accomplished smith._

His survey revealed a door that had been left ajar, leading to a half-lit staircase. Taken by curiosity, Ekimu decided to investigate, and he made his way down the steps. Like the room above, the basement, lit by glowing white crystals, was fairly spacious but a bit cluttered. Numerous anvils were strewn around a fire pit, most of them covered with cloth.

What drew Ekimu's attention more was the gleaming silver armor at the far end of the room, made with pointed shoulders so that it eerily resembled his own.

He turned. One wall was covered in masks with designs he had never seen before. He slowly approached and took one, a round mask with a curved surface, oval eyes, and a few small ridges at its peak.

… _This…is most unusual…_

Ekimu replaced the mask and continued to scan the wall. As he walked down its length he nearly tripped on something—he picked it up, discovering it to be a large, one-sided hammer, with a long blue bar jutting out from the side opposite the head.

His gaze drifted over the floor. A few crates were littered about behind the anvils, containing vines, purple crystals, icicles, and other elemental items.

 _Impossible._

He soon heard footsteps. Max rushed into the room with a panicked expression, stopping short and staring at Ekimu.

"Ah…haha, well, this is, um, you see, it's just, ah…"

After fumbling a bit, he simply shrugged. "I can explain?"

Ekimu set the hammer down. "Yes. Please do."

Max sighed. "Man, you're killing me. I had this whole reveal planned out, and…well, okay, I don't have much choice now do I? It's exactly what it looks like. I'm a Mask Maker too."

Ekimu blinked. "But…how? Masks of Power can only be made using my family's mystic art."

Looking around quickly, Max picked up a shield. He made a fist and stood still for a moment. Soon, his fist began to glow with white energy, and then he punched the shield, driving his fist right through it.

"It's not an ideal reunion, but…"

He struggled to remove the shield from his arm. After he worked in vain for a while, Ekimu stepped forward and helped him.

"Thanks. Anyway—"

"You and I are related? How?"

"I was told that three or four generations back, there was a feud between two siblings in the family and one ended up moving to the Region of Ice. We always kind of figured that our branch of the family tree was swept under the rug."

Ekimu looked back up at the masks. "This is quite a shock…"

Max slipped past him and walked over to the suit of armor. Ekimu added, "How is it that I have not heard of you before?"

"I haven't gone public yet. Only a few of my friends know about this right now."

"Why? If there had been another Mask Maker after I and my brother had vanished, Okoto might have still prospered."

"Hey, it's not like you two left a manual. I had to work the whole thing out on my own, and it sure took a while. By the time I perfected the process, you were already up, and I figured I should wait a bit so I didn't steal your thunder."

He drew out a small box as he continued, "I'm sort of glad, though. The wait gave me time to better my work on Elemental Masks, and best of all…I finally figured it out."

Inside the box, resting on a velvet cushion, was another unfamiliar mask—this one made of solid gold. The face was large and nearly hexagonal, with two triangular holes on either side and an indentation over the mouth. Two long grooves fell from the rectangular eyeholes, and from its angled brow rose two protrusions, each one rounding outward, coming together, and nearly joining before shooting straight up.

Max carefully lifted it. "The Mask of Focus. A mask with an entirely unique power—every Mask Maker needs one, right?"

Ekimu took the mask and looked it over.

"I couldn't get my hands on a whole lot of gold, though, so my armor doesn't quite look the part. You and Makuta probably had to let your stock build up for a while before you had enough to make yours."

"We did not make our suits. They were bestowed on us by the Protectors, each piece crafted by expert smiths across Okoto."

"Oh. Maybe I can use that as an excuse for why I'm wearing silver…"

Ekimu returned the Mask of Focus. "What does this mask do?"

"It kind of…puts me more in tune with the universe, you know? Clears my thoughts, makes me more aware of my surroundings, speeds up how fast I can process and analyze things so that I can strike quickly and precisely. That sort of thing."

"I see."

Ekimu turned around, hoping to buy some time to let his mind stop reeling and think. His gaze caught on something shimmering on one of the anvils—the hilt of a sword, it looked like, the blade covered by a sagging cloth.

"Oh, that?" Max said. He maneuvered around the boxes of icicles at the anvil's base and pulled the cloth over the hilt. "Just an experiment of mine. So, um, what do you think? Another Mask Maker! Great news, yeah?"

"This will certainly change things," Ekimu said. "…Max. I find it hard to believe you would go through all this trouble without a plan for what to do next. So…"

Max grinned. Moving back to the suit of armor, he held the Mask of Focus above its shoulders.

"Next, I become a legend."

When he turned, Ekimu could see the powerful gleam in his eye.

"I'm going to make hundreds of masks, enough that people in every Region will want them! My work will live on for years, like yours and Makuta's, and I'll be remembered forever as one of the chosen few—the great Mask Makers!"

Ekimu paused to take this in. "You are quite…enthusiastic about this new stage of your life. I envy your zeal."

Max laughed and set his mask down. "Don't worry, Ekimu, I'm sure I won't overshadow you."

"If I may say so…you seem drawn to this primarily for the recognition you assume will come." In the back of his mind, Ekimu felt there was something familiar about this villager.

Max raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Well, everybody wants to make a name for themselves. Some of us just have a chance to leave a bigger mark on history than others, and I'm sure not gonna turn that down."

Ekimu hummed.

"Oh come on. You and Makuta started making masks to change the world, right? Is it so wrong that I want to do the same?"

"I cannot speak for my brother. As for me, my decision to join him was for a more personal reason."

Max sighed. "Okay. I don't see the problem here. Makuta's still out of commission, and you're not going to be returning to full mask production until you find him. There's a demand for masks that's gone unanswered for a long time. I can fill it. Sure, the three of us will be competing at some point, but a little friendly rivalry never hurt anyone!"

Ekimu still couldn't shake the feeling. "Max, why do you really want to become a Mask Maker?"

"I just told you. With this, I can become a legend."

"Yes, a legend, but what does that mean to you?"

"What? You know…a legend! Someone people admire and respect. Someone who gets talked about for generations and generations, on until the end of society, the kind of person you wish you could go back in time and meet."

Ekimu nodded. "So…you want everyone to acknowledge you."

And that was when Ekimu realized why Max seemed so familiar.

"You want to prove your worth and be celebrated for you accomplishments."

Max looked aside. "Well…I guess?"

 _He's the same as I was, spending my days hunting whatever I could to impress the Protector of Earth._

"I think I understand, and so I must warn you: it may be best to wait a bit longer before becoming a Mask Maker."

Max's jaw dropped. "…Huh?"

"When I made masks hoping for the admiration of others, I failed more often than I succeeded, and each failure had a terrible sting to it. But, once I accepted that I did not have to—"

"Wait a minute, wait," Max interrupted, waving his hand. "Are you telling me I'm going to fail?"

"No, that is not what I mean. I am only saying—"

"I know you're pretty good at this, but I think I'm fair in saying I'm pretty darn good too."

"Max, please, listen. It nearly took a catastrophe for me to begin to change, and—"

"You know what I think? I think you're just afraid that people are going to want my masks more than yours."

"…What?"

Max started up the stairs. "Times have changed, Ekimu. You've been gone a long time, and maybe your day in the spotlight is over. Don't try to stop me from stepping up to take mine."

Ekimu shook his head. _How can I make him see? What would have made me see?_

Thinking back, it was very easy to come to a conclusion.

 _Nothing. I never listened to anyone who insisted they had something worthwhile to tell me. I could have avoided so many mistakes if I had taken their wisdom…but, I could only gain that wisdom from my own experiences._

He went upstairs to find Max crouched next to his dog.

"I apologize, Max," Ekimu said. "I did not mean to offend you."

Max stood. "Right. No harm done."

Ekimu smiled. "I'm sure you will make a fine Mask Maker. But, please allow me to offer one piece of advice."

Max said nothing.

"Ambition can be a wonderful thing, but if it is all you live for, you may one day find yourself suffering needlessly. You must never be afraid to re-examine yourself and the things you have said. There is never any shame in changing."

* * *

Villagers filled the snowy field before Max's forge, their excited murmurs together creating quite a fearsome roar. At approximately the center of the crowd stood Izotor, Protector of Ice, watching with dull eyes.

"It would seem he sent the letter to most of the village," the Protector observed in a bored tone.

To his left, Ekimu said, "Yes, so it would seem. Though I am surprised the Master of Ice is not here."

"He was invited. He must have gotten lost again—we shall send someone to fetch him later."

All talking stopped when the door slowly creaked open. The eyes of the crowd were trained on Max as he stepped outside, clad in silver armor, hammer in hand, sunlight glinting off the Mask of Focus he wore. No one dared take a breath.

Max steadily advanced. The villagers parted to create a path for him. He inhaled deeply, and then shouted, "Good people of the Village of Ice! The time has come for a wonderful change, which shall sweep across the island of Okoto and carry it on to a new age! For too long, we have been without our beloved Mask Makers. The great Ekimu has been restored to us, but duty requires his absence a bit longer as he valiantly searches for his brother Makuta. His quest is noble! Can we find it in us to ask that he abandon it?"

He struck the ground with the base of his hammer.

"So instead! While Ekimu searches for Makuta, it shall be I who keeps the forges lit! The spirit of the Mask Makers shall indeed be renewed today!"

His hammer began to shine with energy; he raised it, unleashing a blast into the sky.

"Rejoice, my people! Let the time of the Mask Makers begin again!"

The people cheered. Even Izotor raised his eyebrows. "How unexpected," the Protector said. "There are certainly ways to make use of this. You do not object, do you, Mask Maker?"

Ekimu watched Max, beaming as he looked across the crowd. He still could not fully suppress his worry. Yet, upon further reflection, he had realized there was a difference between he and Max that may prove crucial. While Ekimu had indeed craved acknowledgement in the same way Max did, that was not what had driven him to become a Mask Maker—he had done so in search of redemption of that flaw and the mistakes he had made because of it. Before the incident with the Skull Spider, Ekimu never would have considered making masks.

 _He views this much differently than I did. A margin so wide could very easily be enough to protect him from making my mistakes._

"No, Protector. In fact, I am quite glad."


End file.
